Chapter 863: The Vanished Boss
Chapter 863 -857: The Vanished Boss
Puki Calendar, Year 700, Pink Puki Mansion.
As a place held sacred in the hearts of the Pukis, visiting here even once is the lifelong dream of many in the Mushroom Race.
Inside the mansion at this moment.
“Hmm…not bad, go ahead and massage my feet more, nothing feels better,” Alama relaxedly sprawled in Inanna’s embrace, enjoying her daughter’s top-notch massage in the Puki realm.
After more than two years, Alama had thoroughly acclimated to his Puki identity.
The massage was simply a gesture of filial piety from his daughter; after a lifetime of campaigning and busyness, becoming a Puki after death meant he deserved some enjoyment.
In fact, after experiencing Inanna’s technique firsthand several times, Alama had long forgiven Elvyn in his heart.
No Puki could resist this technique.
Unfortunately, although Alama didn’t mind, that old Elvyn couldn’t bring himself to ask Inanna to hold him again.
Though he wasn’t lacking for company, he was constantly being fought over by the Mermaid and Elf, truly a blessed existence.
After a good session of relaxation, Alama finally jumped off his daughter’s lap, making way for Number Four who had been eagerly waiting for a long time.
As he left, Alama couldn’t help but glance once more at a Puki standing in the shadows of the mansion.
For some reason, Alama always felt a strange aversion to this Puki he had only seen a few times.
However, the two were strangers, having never interacted, so Alama could only attribute this to a bad first impression.
…
Gently massaging Number Four’s short legs, Inanna seemed somewhat distracted.
She gazed out at the mushroom field basked in sunshine: “Number Four, what do you think happened to the boss?”
Number Four spread his tentacles, offering no reply.
Ever since the boss suddenly vanished, Inanna frequently asked this question, yet Number Four knew she wasn’t expecting him to have answers.
The only certainty among the Mushroom People is that the Mushroom Lord isn’t dead, only his consciousness is hidden somewhere unknown.
In fact, after the Mushroom Lord disappeared, everything connected by the Mycelium didn’t collapse; the thirteen original members of the Mushroom Race gained partial control of the Fungal Mat.
The Fungal Network remains intact, with new Pukis continually emerging from the Fungal Mat, though what’s missing is the birth of new Mushroom Race members.
Those who had turned into Pukis could still be resurrected after death, but anyone not transformed before the Mushroom Lord went missing could no longer become one, no matter their devout belief.
Ultimately, it’s due to the inability of Mushroom People’s soul volume to control others’ souls.
Although no longer able to transform into Mushrooms, with the Fungal Mat already covering the entire world, faith in the Mushroom Lord hasn’t been greatly affected.
On the contrary, because the Mushroom Lord brought true peace to the world, and then quietly vanished after peace arrived, many uninformed believers regard him as a Savior-like figure.
This peace not only ended centuries-long disputes between the Empire and other races, but even the mist began to dissipate following the Mushroom Lord’s disappearance after the war.
Now, it’s retreating to the original position of the Archipelago.
It’s foreseeable that the world will usher in prosperity!
However, a peculiar war is quietly unfolding on this newly transformed land…
…
Elf Royal Palace.
This ancient palace, untouched even during the Human-Demon War, was now tightly surrounded by layer upon layer of Puki troops.
Strangely, the besiegers are Puki, and the defenders are Puki too.
And outside the palace, the Tree City inhabited by Elves not only avoided fire, but was rather gathering people from all races, watching the siege from afar.
Sirean and Vera were among these people too.
Standing on the wooden platform at the giant tree’s waist, Sirean yawned listlessly as he watched the stalemate below.
For reasons unknown, ever since Link and the Demon King were defeated by the great Mushroom Lord, Sirean often appeared in this spiritless state, like a patient recovering from a severe illness, and Fei Yin couldn’t find the cause.
Apart from Sirean, Vera and Fei Ling seemingly grew closer again after becoming Puki, after spending over two years together!
The inferiority Fei Ling once felt from becoming Puki also quietly dissolved, perhaps replaced by some small delight.
Fei Yin, born human, occasionally felt a subtle sense of isolation.
If it wasn’t for being unable to transform into Mushrooms, Fei Yin would have liked to become Puki as well!
But for now, their attention remains focused on the ongoing Puki War ahead.
Puki War.
As the name suggests, it’s a war conducted entirely by the resurrected Mushroom Race members, commanding Puki into battle.
As for the reason behind the war…
…
A majestic team of Royal Guard Puki split the besieging army, as a familiar Mushroom Throne slowly approached the front.
However, atop the throne didn’t sit the Marshal Puki with the bright red cape, but No. 2, and behind the throne, crowds of Mushroom Race brothers clustered around.
No. 2, full of spirit, shouted remotely through the Fungal Network: “Big brother, the army is already at the gates, isn’t it time to surrender?”
“Surrender your head!” On the city wall, No. 1 swiftly jumped out, frantically pointing at No. 2 on the Mushroom Throne, “This is the Mushroom Lord’s spectacle, you ambitious bad mushroom! I—the Mushroom Lord’s true heir mushroom—will never bow to the mushroom cap of a bad mushroom like you! Never!”
“But you can’t beat it.” Eco suddenly spoke up beside him.
No. 1 angrily waved a tentacle at him: “I don’t need your words!”
Eco shrugged and retreated indifferently to the back, planning to discuss the repair issue of the city walls with the Elf Queen Galadriel after the war, preferably torturing Elvyn more for it.
Behind Eco, the war of words continued unabated.
“Inherited the Mushroom Lord’s will? How come I don’t know? Or rather, we should say all Mushroom Race inherits the Mushroom Lord’s will. But look behind us, after all, who’s received more support from the Mushroom Race?”
No. 2 said, laying a tentacle on the mushroom caps of the Mushroom Race behind it.
Except for the aloof and powerful Number Ten, the amusement-immersed Number Thirteen, and Number Twelve who ran to the Beastman Region to preach the Mushroom Lord’s teachings—all other Mushroom Race essentially stood behind No. 2.
Looking at No. 4 at the very end of No. 2’s team, seemingly trying hard to avoid his gaze, No. 1 felt his legs weaken, struggling to stand.
“No. 4…even you…”
No. 4, already discovered, shamefully flattened his mushroom cap: “But…the Pink Puki owes No. 2 a debt, it’s on its side too…”
In fact, half the Mushroom Race behind No. 2 shared the same reason with No. 4.
“Damn it!” No. 1 hammered the city wall with a tentacle, “Traitors, you’re all traitors! Bad mushrooms, let Puki come over, I will never yield.”
Below, No. 2, knowing this beforehand, pretended to shake its mushroom cap: “Ah, big brother, I didn’t want this, but you forced it to be this way…”
It settled back onto the Mushroom Throne, waving a tentacle lightly—the final battle of the first Puki war commenced!
The war did not last long; No. 1’s Elf King City fell before No. 2’s overwhelmingly powerful army.
And what awaited defeated No. 1 was a high mobile gallows!
Of course, Puki do not have necks, they cannot be strangled.
Therefore, this gallows is essentially a public humiliation tool, with No. 1 hung upon it, slowly pushed out of the Royal City.
“Even if you defeated me, I will not surrender!”
No. 1, swinging back and forth on the mushroom cap tied above, continued struggling and shouting.
However, No. 2’s triumphant laughter, Eco’s sympathetic glance, the spectators’ spirited discussions—all these pierced No. 1’s fragile self-esteem.
Then with a “crack,” it shattered.
“Ahhh—!”
With a wail through the Fungal Network, No. 1’s emotions completely broke down!
“Bad No. 2, I am clearly the number one mushroom!”
“Let me go, let me go!”
“Mushroom Lord! Where are you? They are all bullying me, ahhhh!”
No. 1’s pain was heart-wrenching, momentarily, all Mushrooms present or otherwise felt their bodies tremble, faintly resonating with No. 1’s grief.
Meanwhile, inside the Ark’s Computation Furnace, Lin Jun’s consciousness frowned beneath its mushroom cap.
“What…No. 1?”
“Not right!”
In an instant, Lin Jun realized the familiar strange sensation—
Time stopped…no, time within the Computation Furnace region was being infinitely slowed, just like the move the Demon King used.
Speaking of which, the Pilot’s Seat originally had the ability to distort time perception, though previously accelerating, now being insidiously slowed by an octopus!
The difference being, during the battle with the Demon King, Lin Jun’s consciousness spread throughout the Fungal Mat, easily awakening the paused parts from outside the range.
But in the Pilot’s Seat, Lin Jun gathered all outside consciousness, becoming unaware of the anomaly.
Death God Old Deng intended to pause Lin Jun here, forcibly making him the filter in her plan!
Thus, under Nevrilla’s perplexed gaze, Lin Jun’s Mushroom appearance suddenly gained sharp angles, becoming extraordinarily robust.
At this moment, on Lin Jun’s panel, the [Arrogance] from the Demon King shone brilliantly!
“Death God Old Deng! I refuse!”